Western PA Local News category, Page 1794
Gibsonia man with multiple sclerosis crowned ‘Fittest in the World’ at CrossFit’s first adaptive competitionVideo
By age 21, Brett Horchar had already proved to himself that he possessed the willpower to transform himself from a skinny kid with no self-confidence into a professional fitness trainer. But like anyone else, learning from doctors that he was suffering from multiple sclerosis was “terrifying.” “When I was laying...
Freeport officials trying to determine how to pay for sewage plant, make it affordable
Freeport Council has authorized its engineer to apply for grants to finance the estimated $15 million Freeport sewage plant construction project. On Monday, council unanimously gave the green light for project engineer Kevin Creagh of KLH Engineers to start applying for as many grants as possible. Creagh told council he...
Laurel Highlands baseball coach DeBerry dies following stomach cancer diagnosis
A few years ago, Scott DeBerry of Uniontown needed a French drain around his home, but there really wasn’t room to bring a backhoe in to do the digging. “He hand-dug the whole perimeter. That was an incredible amount of work for one person,” said Shawn Bernarding of Dormont. “He’s...
Former Fox Chapel cardiologist gets 6½ years in prison for health care fraud
A former Fox Chapel cardiologist convicted of health care fraud for falsely billing more than $13 million in specialized treatment his patients didn’t need asked for mercy at his sentencing Thursday. Dr. Samirkumar J. Shah, who failed to show at his original sentencing hearing last month, and for whom the...
Monroeville woman surprised with party for 100th birthday
Turning 100 feels no different for Monroeville resident Mary Jane Murphy, who reached the milestone Aug 1. Born in Scottdale in 1921, she attended schools in the area through eighth grade before moving to Charleroi and graduating from Charleroi High School in 1939. Murphy married in 1943 and had four...
Plans for Dollar General in Hempfield underwayVideo
Despite some back and forth between township supervisors, a proposed Dollar General store is one step closer to opening in North Hempfield. Supervisors during a meeting last week granted final conditional approval for proposed plans in a 3-2 vote. Supervisors Rob Ritson and John Silvis voted against the project. Proposed...
Renowned Periwinkle’s Bakery & Café returns after 15 years
All it took was one bite of a fresh maple-cinnamon roll for a patron to know he was in the right place. Periwinkle’s Bakery & Café, a descendant of the iconic Harmar bakery Periwinkle’s, has finally opened the doors at its new location in O’Hara along Route 28, at Exit...
Longtime AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, a Nemacolin native, has died
WASHINGTON — Richard Trumka, the powerful president of the AFL-CIO who rose from the coal mines of Pennsylvania to preside over one of the largest labor organizations in the world, died Thursday. He was 72. The federation confirmed Trumka’s death in a statement. He had been AFL-CIO president since 2009,...
PA CareerLink will host an outdoor job fair Aug. 12 in Hempfield
With employers across a variety of industries in search of workers, PA CareerLink Westmoreland County will host an Aug. 12 job fair. “Employers in this region are really in need of workers,” said Janice Albright, administrator for PA Career Link Westmoreland County. “We’ve been open for quite a while, but...
Ibex to add 400 jobs at new customer-service center in Wilkins
Ibex, a national customer-service company with a longtime Pittsburgh operation, plans to open another center this fall in Wilkins, employing an additional 400 people. The company is building out a 33,000-square-foot facility in the Penn Center East office complex near Monroeville Mall, with a target opening date of Oct. 1....
Reenactment of 18th century battle returns to Bushy Run this weekend
After a year’s hiatus because of pandemic conditions, reenactors will gather this weekend at Bushy Run Battlefield in Penn Township to restage the clash between British and Native American forces that took place on the site in August 1763. The British victory at Bushy Run helped lift a Native American...
Fox Chapel author’s debut novel tells story of resiliency, self-acceptance
Fox Chapel resident Carolyn Skowron spins a tale of triumph and chips away at the stigma of mental health in her debut novel, “Unbreakable.” A story of acceptance, self-discovery and the value of being “perfectly imperfect,” the book follows Skowron’s struggle with mental health issues and her path to self-improvement....
Neighbor Spotlight: Oakmont conversations always a delight for historical society president
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Neighbor Spotlight: Monroeville girl, 10, creates her own newspaper to bring together neighborhood
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Neighbor Spotlight: Penn Hills resident makes impact in community through Shade Tree Commission leadership
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Neighbor Spotlight: Retiring Pine manager Scott Anderson reflects on opportunity to help shape the community
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Ross Township police welcome new K9 ‘Tyr’ to their ranks, will be deployed by mid-October
The Ross Township police have a new officer in their ranks — a 15-month-old Belgian malinois shepherd from Holland named Tyr, who is completing training to serve in the department’s K9 unit. Tyr was born at the De Stroete Kennels in Holland and sent to trainer Bertil Leezer when he...
Hampton envisions ‘even better community’ over the next decade
Trails, land use and the appearance of the Route 8 corridor are among key priorities in Hampton’s newly approved comprehensive plan. Council approved the 10-year package during its meeting July 28, after two years working to collect input from residents. “The goal of the implementable comprehensive plan is how to...
Schultheis Bros. celebrates 75 years with roof giveaway
A Plum heating, cooling and roofing company with Penn Hills roots is celebrating an anniversary milestone by giving back to the community. Schultheis Bros., 1001 Millers Lane, will be holding a “Great Roof Giveaway” to celebrate its 75th anniversary. Founded in 1946 by brothers Bill and Richard Schultheis, the pair...
Cafe racer bikes rev up for 13th annual ‘Ride-In’ in Sewickley
It’s time to rev those engines and set course for the winding, open road as the 13th annual Cafe Racer Magazine Reader’s Ride-In Bike Show rolls into Sewickley War Memorial Park. On Aug. 15, motorcycle enthusiasts from across the U.S. and Canada will have the opportunity to show off their...
Greensburg woman charged with using stolen identity to get $57K in bank loans
A Greensburg woman is behind bars after state police said she used the identity of a person she met at a drug treatment center to get $57,000 in bank loans, according to court papers. Nina Marie Barkley, 34, who also has a West Mifflin address, is charged with 18 counts...
Ingomar Garden Club fêtes 7 local winners of national essay, poetry, poster contest
The Ingomar Garden Club recently honored seven local students who were this year’s winners in an essay, poetry and poster competition sponsored by the National Garden Club. The Aug. 4 celebration at St. Thomas Anglican Church in the Fields in Richland was an opportunity for the winners to show off...
Youngwood pool celebrating 60 years of funVideo
The opening of Youngwood Park n Pool in 1961 changed the landscape for children at the time. Borough native Paul Kettren remembered riding his bike to the pool for opening day as an 11-year-old and presenting his pass to get in. After that, the facility played a major role in...
Signature Dish: Chilean sea bass at newly restored Bloser Mansion in ParnassusVideo
This is part of an ongoing series highlighting Signature Dishes at locally owned restaurants in the region. See Trib Total Media’s new online directory of restaurants, Dine Local, at dinelocal.triblive.com. A new restaurant housed in a historic venue in New Kensington is dishing up lots of buzz. The Bloser Mansion,...
Giant Eagle cites safety in changing hours of South Side location
Giant Eagle cited the safety of customers and employees in its decision to change the hours of its store on Pittsburgh’s South Side. The company said it temporarily will be closing the store on Wharton Street an hour earlier, at 9 p.m. “To more closely align with public safety efforts...
